Launched by the Association of American Study Abroad Programmes (AASAP/UK), the Lord Acton Memorial Scholarship rewards a “deserving student” who “demonstrates an understanding and appreciation of the value of an international educational experience.” Sir Joseph Pilling, honorary president of Association of American Study Abroad Programs in the UK, presented Fok with the award.

Fok’s semester in London is his third experience abroad of the year. Over the summer, he traveled with the Texas Medical Mission to Peru, where he worked in a local clinic and hospital. He then spent five weeks in Ghana on an Experiencing the World Fellowship (ETW) from Notre Dame's Kellogg Institute for International Studies, where he interviewed amputees and practitioners providing essential rehabilitative services in various regions of the country.

The research is part of Fok's ongoing work as a Kellogg International Scholar with Terence McDonnell, assistant professor of sociology and Kellogg faculty fellow, in which they are exploring the decision-making process of amputees to pursue rehabilitative services.

Fok’s work with Kellogg and his experiences abroad have brought him closer to his dreams of one day becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

While in London, Fok has pursued activities closely related to this dream, researching rehabilitative services for amputees and volunteering with organizations that support disabled people. He is also completing a parliamentary internship with the Minister for Schools, focusing on policies that ensure fair access to high-quality education.

“The Lord Acton scholarship has allowed me to enjoy a much richer cultural and academic experience in the UK,” says Fok. “I have been able to extend my research on international health care systems for the disabled and learn more about amputee and rehabilitative services in the UK.”

“I was able to visit the Surgeon's Hall Museum, headquarters to the Royal Society of Surgeons in Edinburgh Scotland, where I saw a mixture of modern and old prosthesis created in the UK. Additionally, I was able to look at rehabilitative services provided during WWII, including those used for amputees, at the museums in London.”

Next summer, Fok is hoping to return to Ghana to work with the Orthopedic Training Centre while conducting research for his senior thesis in sociology and senior capstone project in international development studies.